How to Plant Chinese Honeylocust? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Planting Precautions
Chinese honeylocust is also called Gleditsia sinensis. Its uses are extremely wide: it can be processed into soap, the honeylocust rice it produces can also be eaten, and both the pods and seeds of the Chinese honeylocust can be used as medicine. It is grown in many regions of our country, but I believe many friends have never seen it. So do you know how Chinese honeylocust is planted? And what matters do we need to pay attention to during the planting process? Today we will mainly look at the precautions for planting Chinese honeylocust.
1. Soil
The choice of soil is the most basic external factor for successful Chinese honeylocust planting, because Chinese honeylocust is a deep-rooted plant, so the soil layer of the planting site must be very deep. Second, it is a sun-loving plant, so the planting site should be chosen in a sunny area, and the soil should be relatively fertile and rich in organic matter. Sandy loam soil is best. Never choose heavy clay or pure sand, because otherwise many problems will appear during the growth of the Chinese honeylocust.
2. Time
The planting time of Chinese honeylocust is also something we need to pay attention to, because its planting time is not only related to the climate of the planting site, but also to the method of propagation. Under normal circumstances, the planting time of Chinese honeylocust is April to May each year, but if the root division propagation method is used, then in southern China the planting time is roughly between October and December, while in the north it is between March and April. In this way, the survival rate of the planted Chinese honeylocust can be greatly guaranteed.
3. Seeds
When planting, whether we use seed propagation or root division propagation, we need to carry out treatment, because this can improve the resistance of the plant. For seeds, we should choose plump ones free of pests and diseases, then put them into water at about 45 degrees to soak. After one day, take them out, then mix them evenly with moist fine river sand, and carry out germination at a suitable temperature. When most of the seeds have cracked open, they can be sown. For root division propagation, it is necessary to choose robust roots free of pests and diseases, then cut them into small sections of about 7 to 8 cm and plant them.
4. Trellising
When the stems and vines of the Chinese honeylocust have grown to a certain extent, we need to set up a trellis for it so that it climbs and grows along the support. This is roughly done when it is about 35 to 40 cm. The support is generally made of bamboo poles, and then a rope is tied to each bamboo pole. The bamboo poles only need to be about 1.5 m. If it is planted in woodland, then if there are nearby plants that the Chinese honeylocust can climb, it can be guided directly over to them and allowed to climb and grow along the naturally growing plants.
5. Pruning
When guiding the Chinese honeylocust to grow onto the trellis, what we need to pay attention to is removing the excess branches. Generally, only two or three relatively thick and strong branches need to be left per plant. When these branches have grown to a certain extent (about 4 to 5 m), we should remove the terminal buds of the branches so that more new side branches grow out. In this way, the yield of the Chinese honeylocust can be increased.
6. Pollination
The fruit-setting rate of natural pollination in Chinese honeylocust is still acceptable, but in order to improve economic benefits, when it blooms we still use artificial pollination to assist pollination, thereby increasing the success rate of pollination, so that its yield is significantly increased. Generally, pollination can be carried out by collecting pollen and then spraying or smearing it.